2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Labor (Department or DOL) is issuing a final rule that requires States to use State merit staff to provide Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service (ES) services. In the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the Department proposed that this requirement would apply to all States. However, the Department recognizes three States that have been approved by the Department to administer ES services using alternative staffing models for decades and is allowing only these three States to continue using the alternative staffing models. The requirement to use State merit staff to provide all ES services applies to all other States, including those States that implemented staffing flexibility under the 2020 Final Rule. The Department additionally is revising the ES regulations to strengthen the provision of services to migrant or seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) and to enhance the protections afforded by the Monitor Advocate System and the Employment Service and Employment-Related Law Complaint System (Complaint System). States have 24 months to comply with this final rule.

The Superior National Forest is proposing to establish a new recreation fee site. Recreation fee revenues collected at the new recreation fee site would be used for operation, maintenance, and improvement of the site. An analysis of nearby recreation fee sites with similar amenities shows the recreation fee that would be charged at the new recreation fee site is reasonable and typical of similar recreation fee sites in the area.

This action amends high altitude Canadian Area Navigation routes Q-907 and Q-951; and establishes United States (U.S.) Area Navigation (RNAV) route T-739, in support of the FAA's Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. The purpose is to enhance the efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS) by transitioning from ground-based navigation aids to a satellite-based navigation system.

This action amends Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airway V-16. This action is necessary to reinstate six route points that were inadvertently omitted in a previous route amendment of VOR Federal Airway V-16 that took effect August 10, 2023.

This action is an administrative change to rename restricted areas R-3002A, R-3002B, R-3002C, R-3002D, R-3002E, R-3002F, and R- 3002G; Fort Benning, GA, and to update the using agency description to reflect the change. This action partially implements recommendations of the Commission on the Naming of Items (Naming Commission) of the Department of Defense (DoD) as established by section 370 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amends its adjudication regulations concerning certain awards of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Under this amendment, relevant claimants will be eligible to elect to have certain previously denied DIC claims reevaluated pursuant to changes that establish or modify a presumption of service connection. Any award as a result of the reevaluation may be made retroactive as if the establishment or modification of the presumption of service connection had been in effect on the date of the submission of the original claim. This amendment incorporates legislative changes enacted by the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 and will bring Federal regulations into conformance with those changes.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published a notice in the Federal Register of November 20, 2023, concerning the availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the Organic Market Development Grant Program (OMDG) for public review and comments. The notice contained an incorrect link to the Draft PEA.

This document announces an extension of the comment period for the referenced NPRM, which proposed the adoption of a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain FS 2001 Corp, FS 2002 Corporation, FS 2003 Corporation, Piper, and Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) airplanes. This NPRM invited comments concerning the proposed requirement of replacing any rudder equipped with a rudder post made from a certain carbon steel with a rudder equipped with a rudder post made from a certain low-alloy steel. This extension of the comment period is necessary to provide all interested persons an opportunity to present their views on the proposed requirements of this NPRM.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the effective date of December 18, 2023, for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on October 3, 2023. This direct final rule amended the TN Americas LLC, Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal Modular Storage System for Irradiated Nuclear Fuel listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Renewed Amendment No. 18 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1004.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone for all navigable waters within a 2 nautical miles radius of Read Island, AK, centered at Latitude: 57[deg]06'48.3'' N, Longitude: 133[deg]11'43.4'' W, where a MH-60 Jayhawk Helicopter crashed (CG- 6016), early on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. This security zone is needed to protect and preserve the crash site of the MH-60 Helicopter wreck. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Southeast Alaska or a designated representative.

On May 28, 2010, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) guidance related to the ``generic'' clearance process. Generally, this is an expedited process by which agencies may obtain OMB's approval of collection of information requests that are ``usually voluntary, low-burden, and uncontroversial collections,'' do not raise any substantive or policy issues, and do not require policy or methodological review. The process requires the submission of an overarching plan that defines the scope of the individual collections that would fall under its umbrella. On October 23, 2011, OMB approved our initial request to use the generic clearance process under control number 0938-1148 (CMS-10398). It was last approved on April 26, 2021, via the standard PRA process which included the publication of 60- and 30-day Federal Register notices. The scope of the April 2021 umbrella accounts for Medicaid and CHIP State plan amendments, waivers, demonstrations, and reporting. This Federal Register notice seeks public comment on one or more of our collection of information requests that we believe are generic and fall within the scope of the umbrella. Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this collection of information, including: the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

In accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (``CERCLA''), notice is hereby given that a proposed CERCLA section 122(g)(4) De Minimus Landowner Administrative Settlement Agreement for Parties (``Proposed Agreement'') associated with the Fansteel Metals/FMRI Site in Muskogee, Oklahoma (``Site'') was executed by the Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'') and is now subject to public comment, after which EPA may modify or withdraw its consent if comments received disclose facts or considerations that indicate that the Proposed Agreement is inappropriate, improper, or inadequate. The Proposed Agreement would resolve potential EPA claims under section 107(a) of CERCLA, against The Port of Muskogee/Landowners (``Settling Party'') for EPA response costs at the Fansteel Metals/FMRI Superfund Site located in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The settlement is non-monetary, but The Port of Muskogee/ Landowners agree to cooperate fully with EPA in the implementation of response actions at the Site and further agrees not to interfere with such response actions. For thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this notice, EPA will receive electronic comments relating to the Proposed Agreement. EPA's response to any comments received will be available for public inspection by request. Please see the ADDRESSES section of this notice for special instructions in effect due to impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

EPA has granted emergency exemptions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for use of pesticides as listed in this notice. The exemptions were granted during the period July 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023, to control unforeseen pest outbreaks.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request approval to revise and extend a currently approved information collection to gather data related to water usage for North Carolina agricultural operations that likely use between 10,000 and 1,000,000 gallons per day. Revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the sample frame and/or questionnaire length.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing the name of one person that has been placed on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) based on OFAC's determination that one or more applicable legal criteria were satisfied. All property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction of this person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

On October 27, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a notice entitled ``Request for Comments on Updated Guidance for Modernizing the Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).'' OMB is extending the public comment period announced in that notice, which currently closes on November 27, 2023, by 26 days. The comment period will now remain open until December 22, 2023, to allow additional time for the public to review and comment on the initial proposals.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes this information collection request (ICR) to renew Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1010-0048.

Comments are requested on proposed flood hazard determinations, which may include additions or modifications of any Base Flood Elevation (BFE), base flood depth, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundary or zone designation, or regulatory floodway on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), and where applicable, in the supporting Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports for the communities listed in the table below. The purpose of this notice is to seek general information and comment regarding the preliminary FIRM, and where applicable, the FIS report that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided to the affected communities. The FIRM and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that the community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of having in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).